A Regal Birthday Present
by Snapegirlkmf
Summary: Baby Regina wants to get the perfect present for her uncle Rumple . . . and a hair cut leads to finding the most regal birthday gift of them all! A BabyRegal/Gold fic. Gold Standard AU!


**A Regal Birthday Present**

**A OUAT Gold Standard fic**

**Featuring**

**Baby Regal & Mr. Gold**

**A/N: this takes place a few weeks after "You're Funny Easter Bunny" and the idea for this story was given to me by EvilQueensDaughterRapunzel! Thank you for such a lovely idea, and hope you like this little one-shot! I own nothing, dearies! **

"Mommy, what can I get Unca Rumple for his birthday?" Regina Nolan asked her mother, Snow White, who was also known as Mary Margaret Nolan. The three-and-a-half year old was very concerned about getting _the _perfect present for her favorite uncle, who would be celebrating his fifty-third birthday in Storybrooke that year, though if they were to be technical, the sorcerer attorney was actually _three hundred and fifty three_ years old. But since magic wielders didn't age the same as normal humans, the family decided they would just say he was fifty-three.

The brunette schoolteacher, who was also the princess of the fairy tales, bit her lip and admitted, "Well, Regina . . . I don't know. But I'm sure we can think of something." She and her husband, David, also known as Charming, had already gotten Rumple a very elegant purple paisley Ferragamo tie with a gold spinning wheel tie tack pin. "Maybe you can make something for Uncle Rumple? Those are usually the best presents."

Her dark-haired daughter looked thoughtful. "Like a card?" she suggested. "Or how 'bout a bird house, like your class made last week?"

"Umm . . . we could do that if you like," Snow agreed, though she wasn't sure if Rumple would actually need or want a birdhouse. "Or we could wait and see what else we can think of. After all, Uncle Rumple's birthday isn't till four days, so we have time."

They decided to celebrate the old sorcerer's birthday on May 1st—May Day—since he really wasn't certain of the exact date, since back when he was born, there was no one in his village to record such things, and his mother Daria was dead, as was his father, so he had no one to consult. The kindly ladies who had taken him in as an orphaned seven-year-old were deceased as well, though they had always told him he was born on the first day of spring.

Snow went and got a comb and started to brush her toddler's long thick curls. "Hmm . . . I think we need to get your hair trimmed, Regina."

The little girl gazed at her mother with big dark eyes. "Cut my hair? Like yours?"

"Well, maybe not that short," Snow mused, running a hand through her pixie cut. "But it'll be your first haircut. And I can't wait to show your daddy and everyone else at the party."

"Where we gonna go to do it?" asked Regina curiously.

"Umm . . . Rapunzel has a beauty salon here on Main Street. It's called Golden Locks." Snow replied. "I'll call and see if we can make an appointment."

She looked up Rapunzel's salon in the Storybrooke telephone directory and dialed the number on her cell. Rapunzel herself answered the phone and said she would be happy to give Regina her first haircut. Snow made an appointment for that afternoon, at three o'clock, and then she helped her daughter make a card for Rumple.

Regina used some red construction paper to cut out a red apple after Snow had traced it upon the paper, using her plastic blue safety scissors. She cut out balloons from other colored construction paper and also a black kitten, which represented Nala. Snow handed her some paste and helped the little girl glue the cut outs onto cardstock. The little kitten was holding the balloons and the apple was on the top of the card.

"Now, what do you want it to say?" asked Snow.

"Umm . . . A is for apple, A bunch of balloons, and a Awesome Uncle!" Regina recited.

"That's lovely, Regina! And what shall it say on the inside?" Snow asked, writing the message carefully on the card.

"Dear Unca Rumple . . . Happy Birthday . . . Love, Regina."

"Okay. I'll write most of it, but you get to sign it," Snow said, and after she was finished, handed the marker to Regina so she could write her name.

Regina wrote a large R and then carefully copied Snow's printing of her name, which Snow had taught her how to write a week ago. Regina liked to practice writing her name . . . though she liked to write it too much, as her daddy said, after she had written it on her bedroom wall in Snow's lipstick all over.

"I did it! Yay!" the toddler clapped her hands.

"You did a great job!" Snow praised, then she had Regina help her clean up and they put the card on the fridge for safekeeping.

"Can we go to the bee-you-ti-ful salon now?" asked Regina.

Snow laughed. "We sure can, sweetie!" She helped Regina put on her blue windbreaker and then they walked down the street to Rapunzel's salon.

Golden Locks was the premiere salon in Storybrooke, and it was almost always busy. Rapunzel had hired the best hairdressers in the business, all those who had been former maids to the nobles and royals in the Enchanted Forest, and she herself was the best of them, considering her brilliant long tresses.

Golden Locks was a pretty building with a glittering gold sign out front and a frilly pink and white striped awning. It had as its logo a pair of pink shears and a long strand of golden hair wrapped around it with a pink bow on the end.

Inside were polished golden oak floors and the walls were a light champagne pink and had pictures of all kinds of famous movie stars with different hairdos. There was a small round desk with a register where customers paid and made appointments and signed in. There was a small waiting area with comfy printed couches and a coat rack.

The main area of the salon had ten hairdresser stations with large mirrors and counters with all kinds of beauty products on them and pink leather chairs. Women were sitting on the chairs, getting their hair set, or cut, or styled by the hairdressers wearing pink shirts with a sparkly gold logo on them.

Snow walked up to the round counter and spoke to the receptionist there about Regina's appointment.

As she did so, Regina noticed a logo on the window of the salon that faced the street. It was of a pink heart with the face of a boy and a girl in it. She saw the same thing on a flyer taped to the wall and also on the desk in a stack of them. She picked one up.

"Mommy, what's this?" she showed Snow the flyer.

"Just minute, Regina," Snow said, and was told she had to wait until Rapunzel was done with her customer before bringing Regina back to get her hair washed. "Okay, Regina come over here, we need to wait before they can cut your hair."

Regina followed Snow to a printed couch and sat down, her little feet dangling. "Mommy, what's this?" she showed Snow the flyer.

Snow took it and read, "It's a flyer for a charity organization called Locks of Love. They take hair donations for children who have lost their hair because they were sick or have a condition where they go bald or have been burned. You can donate your hair and they will make it into a pony tail for a needy child and she or he can have hair again like other kids."

"You mean they'd use my hair for a kid who didn't have none?" Regina clarified.

"Yes, when they cut your hair, instead of throwing it out, we could save it and donate it to Locks of Love for a little girl or boy who needed a hair piece," Snow explained.

"Oh." Regina thought about that. It sounded like a good idea. "Mommy, how much hair does they need?"

"Uh . . . it says here you need ten inches of clean hair in a braid or ponytail. You can fill out a donation form here and mail it in," Snow replied.

"Can we do it, Mommy?"

Snow was shocked. "You . . . want to donate your hair, Regina? But . . . I thought you only wanted a little trim off the bottom."

"Uh . . . no, I wants to give them a ponytail for another little girl . . ." the toddler said. "So's she can look pretty . . .I wanna get my hair cut like you . . . and . . ." Just then another bright idea dawned. " . . . and can we give my hair from Unca Rumple? Like for a present?"

Snow stared at her child. "You want . . . to donate your hair in Uncle Rumple's name . . . as his birthday present?"

"Uh huh." Regina nodded. "Cuz Unca Rumple said I oughta try n' help other people . . . an' I'd be helpin' some kid that was bald and sick. And he likes little kids too."

That was true, Snow reflected. Rumplestiltskin had always had a soft spot for children, especially little ones. And she couldn't help but think he'd approve of this gift.

"Okay . . . I'll tell Rapunzel when she cuts your hair that you'd like to donate it . . . in Rumple's name. And I'll fill out the form while we're waiting," Snow said, removing a pen from her purse.

"Yay!" cheered her daughter. She had found her birthday present for her uncle at last.

**Page~*~*~*~*~Break**

"That's a lovely idea, Regina," Rapunzel said to the child when she came out of the back room where they had her sit in a chair that tilted and washed her hair with some sweet strawberry shampoo. Then she got to wear a pretty pink striped cape and sit in a cool pink chair way up high while Rapunzel cut her hair.

"So, your mama tells me you'd like to donate your hair to Locks of Love," Rapunzel said, she was a tall statuesque young woman with deep blue-black hair like a raven's wing and skin the color of golden honey poured from a pitcher. She wore her hair braided and curled up around her head, with only a long braid that hung almost to her feet. Her hair was decorated prettily with all kinds of colorful ribbons and small hairpieces, she modeled over a dozen of them and would sell any that a customer wanted to buy. Like her hairdressers, she also wore a shirt with the Golden Locks logo and a pair of jeans and sneakers.

"You knows how to cut my hair?" Regina queried.

"Yes, I can cut your hair so you can donate it," Rapunzel replied. Then she put some of Regina's hair into a braid and measured it and then cut it. "There! You can donate this and now I'll finish cutting the rest of your hair."

She handed the braid to Regina to hold while she cut and snipped and combed Regina's hair, making it very like Snow's own.

As her hair fell like rain onto the floor, Regina sneezed, then hoped this would be enough for a kid to wear and also hoped Unca Rumple would like his present . . . which wasn't something that came from a store.

In a few minutes, Rapunzel was finished and she gave Regina's soft hair one last comb before whipping off her cape and saying, "Okay, look in the mirror, Regina, and tell me if you like your new hair."

Regina did and squealed in delight. "Mommy! I look like you!"

"I know, baby," Snow gave her a smile of delight. "And we can mail the hair in and everything."

"And Unca Rumple's got his very special present from me!" she crowed, and smiled.

Snow put a hand to her belly and thought about how far this Regina had come from her old self as the Evil Queen, how loving and considerate she was, even though she was still a young child, and she hoped the child would continue to be so. It made her feel glad about her decision to adopt and raise Regina, that she was making a difference and doing something right, so Regina grew up happy and not bitter and vengeful.

As she went to pay, and also gave Rapunzel a handsome tip, the receptionist told her that they could mail in the hair donation and also gave Regina a small pink bear with the Locks of Love logo on it. "This is for you, sweetie, to show you're a proud doner."

Regina hugged her bear to her and laughed, her newly shorn hair making her head feel lighter. "Now can we gets ice cream?" she begged.

Snow giggled. "Of course!"

**Page~*~*~*~*~Break**

_Gold's Victorian:_

"Happy birthday, Unca Rumple!" Regina warbled along with the rest of the family. She was wearing an adorable purple dress and a straw hat over her newly shorn head. "Happy birthday to you!"

She was sitting on Rumple's lap in front of the delicious looking German chocolate cake with coconut frosting that Belle had made. There were ten candles on it, and Regina clapped and said, "Now blow them out n' make a wish!"

"Okay, imp!" her uncle laughed, and then he blew them out . . .and suddenly they sputtered and lit again.

"Look!" she squealed. "They's on fire!"

"Looks like you didn't blow hard enough, Uncle Rumple!" teased Jimmy from his place to the right of the sorcerer. "Must be getting old, huh?"

"Old? You watch your mouth, Mr. Jones!" Rumple mock-growled. "Before I have you scrubbing my toilet with a toothbrush."

Jimmy smirked. "Okay, okay. Just saying!"

Everyone else chuckled and Regina said, "Unca Rumple, I help!"

"Okay . . . ready . . . one . . . two . . . three . . ."

Then he and Regina both blew out the candles.

"Yay!" the little moppet cheered . . . until the candles sprang to life again!

"Toldja he's old," Jimmy snickered. Then he yelped as Bae smacked him on the back of the head.

"Manners, little brother," his older brother smirked.

Jimmy glared at him. "You're a pain in the ass, Bae."

Rumple frowned at the candles. There was something not right here. Then he saw Alice hiding a smirk and cried, "Ah ha! Alice, you wretched sneak! These are trick candles!"

"Fiddle dee dee, Mr. G!" she pouted. "How'd you guess?"

"Because we did the same thing to Alina one year for her birthday," Rumple recalled, his brown eyes sparkling. "Nice try though."

"Unca Rumple, the candles won't go out," Regina objected.

"Now they will," her uncle said, and waved a hand, dousing them with his magic.

"Now we's can eat!" squealed his niece, as Rumple cut the first piece of cake and served it to her.

"I really shouldn't have this," Emma said, patting her huge belly as he handed cake out. "But . . . I'm going to."

"Yeah, Em, live a little," her husband smiled, taking his own piece along with a cup of coffee.

Regina looked at her big sister, who was nearly ready to deliver her second child. "Emma, when's the swan chick gonna be borned?"

"It feels like any day now," she said, eating some cake. "But Dr. Jo says another three weeks."

"You could go early," Snow speculated. "I did."

"Me too," Belle chuckled, holding her twin daughter, Daria, in one arm.

Emma looked horrified. "Please God, I am _not_ delivering at home."

"Why? Don't you trust the expert?" teased Jeff, bouncing his godson Dylan on his shoulder.

Emma shot him a Look. "Oh, you're a riot, Jeff."

"Mom says Dad should stick to punching people out and leave the babies to the real professionals," Henry chimed in.

"Otherwise, she's gonna punch _him_ out!" Alina added, laughing.

"I'm almost too full from dinner to eat this," Rumple murmured. Alice had made him his favorites—Guinness stew and the Gold special grilled cheese.

Regina looked at him. "You's got to eat some, Unca Rumple," she said seriously.

"I do? Why's that?" he asked.

"Cause if you do, your wish will come true."

"How do you know that?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I just do," she replied primly, and ate some of her own piece.

Smiling, he ate some as well, finding it delicious as always. Alice had taught Belle well.

Once they had all had some cake and coffee, it was time to open presents.

"You can help me, minx," Rumple said to Regina, since he remembered other birthdays when Alina was little where she had helped him.

Regina bounced on his knee. "Yay, presents!"

Rumple winced. "By the time I'm done, one of my presents ought to be a knee replacement," he muttered.

Grace came forward with a package wrapped in purple paper. "This is from me, Uncle Rumple."

"Gracie, you didn't have to get me anything. You helped cook that lovely dinner," he said, and took the package from her.

"She's your goddaughter, Rumple," Alice said. "So of course she did."

Grace gave a shy grin. "It's just something little . . . and I got Papa one just like it."

"Yeah, so we can wear them and stand outside on the porch like evil twins when their dates come calling," Jeff snickered.

"What is it? A paddle to beat them off?" Rumple guessed, as Regina tore off the paper to reveal . . . a black T-shirt with the following words on it.

_Rules For Dating My Daughter_

_Get a job_

_Understand I don't like you, no matter what_

_I'm everywhere, like God_

_Be home 30 minutes early_

_You make her cry, I'll make you scream_

_Get a lawyer_

_If you lie to me, I'll find out_

_She's my princess, not your conquest_

_I don't mind going back to jail_

_If you hurt her, I'll bury you where no one will find the body._

"See, it's perfect," Grace smirked.

"Yeah and see what we have to look forward to," Alina groaned.

"You forgot to add the part about voodoo dolls in the shop window," her brother said.

"Don't give him any ideas, Baelfire!" Alina sighed.

"Shoot, those boys are already dead," Charming snorted. "Between your dad and your brother and me, they should just plan a funeral." He looked at Alice. "Now where can I get one?"

Alice giggled. "Online."

Rumple waved a hand and he was now wearing the shirt over his jeans.

"Okay, where's the next gift?" Regina called.

"That'd be me," Henry said, and handed Rumple a box and a card.

Rumple opened it to find . . . "A fishing kit!" and the card also read, "Good for two fishing trips with your grandson and Jimmy." Rumple ruffled Henry's hair. "Thank you, boys. Now we'll have to figure out a weekend."

"There's lots of 'em," Jimmy said.

He opened Snow and David's tie and tie tack pin next, exclaiming, "Look, Belle, I have a tie to wear to work tomorrow!"

Belle smiled. "And I'm sure it'll look awesome with this from Dylan and Daria." She handed him a blue wrapped box.

He opened that to reveal two silk Armani shirts with his initials embroidered on the collar. "Now I just have to make sure I can get out of the house without one of them puking or peeing all over me."

"Eeeww!" Regina grimaced. "Unca Rumple, you's gotta teach them babies to use the potty!"

Everyone cracked up at that. "They're too little," Belle told her, cuddling her daughter, while Freya, their collie sat at her feet.

From Alina there was a card with an invitation inside for six father-daughter ice cream dates at Granny's. "You remember when we used to always go for ice cream when I was little?"

"I do . . . now who's paying?" her father asked wryly.

"It's already paid, with my allowance," Alina informed him sassily. "Otherwise how's it a present?"

He hugged his eldest daughter. "Spoken like an attorney, dearie. Thank you."

Bae and Emma were next. "This is actually from me, Emma, Belle, and the newest Gold," his son said, handing him an envelope.

Rumple slanted him a glance. "My God, Bae, what did you do?"

"Just open it, Papa," Bae urged.

Gold opened the envelope to find a card with . . .plane tickets in it. "You're sending me and Belle to Bermuda?!"

"We are," Emma grinned. "Because we felt you could use the vacation. "We'll watch the twins and Alina while you're gone for two weeks."

"It'll be like the honeymoon you never had," the martial arts instructor added.

"And who's going to help you?" Gold protested. "You're wife's almost ready to deliver there, Bruce Lee!"

"We all will," Snow put in. "Family helps family."

"Okay . . . looks like we're going to the islands, sweetheart," Gold said to Belle and then he hugged his wife.

Regina tugged his shirt. "Unca Rumple . . .now it's my turn!" She pulled off her hat and threw it on the floor. "Ta da! Lookit my new hair cut!"

Rumple eyed the little minx and said, "You look fabulous, dearie. Just like your mama."

Regina then pulled out the card from her lap. "And this's for you!"

"My very own card?" he put a hand to his heart. "Did you make this yourself?"

"Uh huh. But Mommy helped a little. Open it!" She began bouncing excitedly on his lap again.

Rumple did, and smiled at the childish handwriting on the inside . . . and then he read the certificate enclosed. "_A donation of one ponytail has been made by Regina Nolan for Lock of Love in the name of her uncle, Mr. R. Gold. This donation will go to help a disadvantaged child have a hairpiece made for them, and is greatly appreciated."_

The little girl beamed up at him. "Do ya like it, Unca Rumple?"

The old sorcerer smiled down at her. "Regina, this is the best birthday present ever . . . because with it I can help a child who needs it, and it's a gift that keeps on giving. I'm very proud of you for doing that."

Then he wrapped his arms about his niece and hugged her tightly. If ever he needed proof that what he had done that day long ago in the sheriff's station was right, it was here, for with this selfless gesture, Regina had dealt the final blow to her old persona as the Evil Queen, and proved that second chances were always possible, and the best birthday presents were ones that gave to those in need.

"Kodac moment!" Jimmy smirked, and then he clicked his camera and took a picture. Now there was another one for his new collage he was making. The Gold family was growing in leaps and bounds, he thought, never realizing that soon there would be an unexpected new member joining them.

12


End file.
